Shelby write-in candidate’s 422 votes were a lot but not enough to win

John Pratt in losing effort had one of highest write-in tallies in recent memory

SHELBY – John Pratt, a current Shelby Town Board member, attempted a rare election phenomenon in Orleans County: winning as a write-in candidate in a contested race.

Pratt lost in his bid for a four-term as a town councilman, but his 422 write-in votes are the most for a write-in candidate in recent memory.

Pratt was outpolled by Linda Limina, 787 votes; and Jeff Schiffer, 532 votes.

Warren Kruger also mounted a write-in campaign in Kendall for highway superintendent and received 84 votes to Eric Maxon’s 432. Kruger has been the highway superintend for more than 30 years. He lost a Republican Primary to Maxon, and made a late bid as a write-in candidate.

Pratt didn’t get the Republican endorsement for re-election. He decided about five weeks before the election to run a write-in campaign. He knew the chances weren’t good.

“I knew it was going to be an uphill battle,” he said today. “Everybody said I did phenomenal. I went out and hit it hard.”

Pratt got a list of 1,500 active voters in Shelby and knocked on their doors. He went campaigning every day for three weeks leading up tot election, often joined by his wife Sharlene. Pratt took out ads, sent a mailer to residents explaining his position on the issues and advised them how to fill out a write-in vote. He also sent in letters to the editor.

In the end, it wasn’t enough to win.

Pratt said he will stay active at Town Board meetings, but will be out in the audience.

In recent local elections, two candidates were elected by write-in in Medina for the Village Board in March 2014. Marguerite Sherman and Michael Sidari were elected trustees. Sherman had 229 votes and Sidari 207 to win over candidates with names printed on the ballot: incumbents David Barhite, 175; and Patricia Crowley, 171.

Sidair would later go on to be elected mayor. Sherman also remains on the board today.

The biggest write-in victory may have been in November 2015 when Jim Simon pulled off an upset for Yates town supervisor, defeating incumbent John Belson.

Simon, with backing from the Save Ontario Shores citizens group, forced a GOP primary on Sept. 10, 2015, but lost to Belson, 153-146. The race was so close it went to the absentee ballots, with Belson winning.

In a rematch in November, Belson was ahead by 14 votes, 352 to 338 for Simon after the polls closed. But there were 86 absentees.

When those absentees were counted, Simon was victor with the final tally, 393 to 379.

Simon has won re-election every two years since then, and Belson has gone on to be Lyndonville mayor.